Zumba is the exercise choice for 76-year-old Salem man

Bob Zakes, 76, dances in Zumba classes three times a week where he is often the only man in the room.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

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Bob Zakes, 76, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.(Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)Buy Photo

When Bob Zakes messed up his shoulder playing racquetball, he needed to come up with a new workout plan.

He could have chosen a spin, body flex or yoga class at Salem Family YMCA, but he picked Zumba because he's always enjoyed dancing.

If you thought the Latin-inspired dance fitness craze was over, you were mistaken. It's still widely popular, although participants are mainly women.

Lest you think Zakes is just there to check out the scenery, it was his wife, Sue, who called to let us know he was the only man in his three-times-a-week class.

"He's quite a hit," Sue Zakes said.

Her husband found his passion for Zumba about two years ago. After injuring his shoulder, he wanted to find a new exercise outlet and doubted he would ever find it in the weight room or on the indoor track.

“I just don’t have the motivation and can’t maintain a regular schedule of going to the Y and lifting weights or running on the track,” Bob Zakes said. “I do it for a month or two, then burn out.”

Many of us can relate, especially now, in January. We start the new year off with grand plans to eat healthier, shed a few pounds and get in better shape, but sustaining it is never easy.

Burnout wasn't an issue when Zakes discovered Zumba, which took the workout world by storm in 2001. It remains popular in gyms across the globe because it’s a party as much as it is a workout and because anyone can do it.

The Zumba franchise estimates 15 million people wiggle their hips and shake their booties each week at 200,000 locations in more than 180 countries.

Locally, you can find Zumba classes at several locations, including Physiq Fitness, 24-Hour Fitness and Center 50+. The West Salem Courthouse offers Zumba Gold, a modified, lower-intensity class.

People of every age, size and dance ability participate in Zumba, simultaneously smiling and sweating while doing a fusion of salsa, merengue, cha-cha and other dance steps.

Zakes, 76, admits learning the routines was a bit of a challenge in the beginning.

Today he’s confident enough to show off some of the moves he’s mastered when he visits his son and daughter-in-law in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico.

Zakes and his wife have four children and six grandchildren and raise llamas and chickens on their farm just east of Salem. He hopes she joins him in the Zumba class after she recovers from knee replacement surgery.

Zakes often is the only male and the oldest person in the studio. Neither seems to faze him.

He shows up like clockwork for the noon class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Only sickness and the occasional lunch work meeting interrupt his workout schedule.

The Y is just a three-block walk from the Oregon Secretary of State’s office, where he is a quality assurance lead for computer information systems. He was part of the team that created the state's first business registry system in 1985, returned to help update the system in 2000, and is currently assisting on a third upgrade.

Zakes had company at the Y on a recent Friday, with another gentleman attending the class. The next class, though, it was just him surrounded by 10 female students and a female instructor.

"I can almost keep up with the girls," he said.

For the record, Zumba was created by a man, and by mistake. When founder Alberto "Beto" Pérez forgot his regular music for an aerobics class he was teaching, he improvised and substituted his personal collection of salsa and merengue music.

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Bob Zakes, 76, center, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.(Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)

We asked certified Zumba instructor Andrea Naumann, who teaches classes at the YMCA and Chemeketa Community College, why more men don’t do Zumba.

“They get kind of embarrassed because they can’t do the hip wiggles,” she said.

Part of the appeal of Zumba should be that it allows participants to add their own style and individualize dance moves. Zakes, for example, said he uses a fist when doing some of the hand movements.

Everyone at the Y seems to know Zakes, the Zumba guy. His enthusiasm is contagious, and he’s never shy about requesting his favorite songs during class, such as “Despacito.”

“The faster it is, the better he likes it,” said Tina Earhart, fitness director at the YMCA.

Zakes credits Zumba with helping him increase his core strength and improve his reflexes and flexibility. He also appreciates the mental stimulation of following the instructor's lead and learning new routines.

Most importantly, though, Zumba just makes him happy.

“Dancing itself is fun, it’s a joy,” he said. “Because I like to do it, it keeps me coming back for more.”

“Forward This” appears Wednesdays and Sundays and highlights the people, places and organizations of the Mid-Willamette Valley. Contact Capi Lynn at clynn@StatesmanJournal.com or 503-399-6710, or follow her the rest of the week on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.

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Bob Zakes, 76, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, center, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, left, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, second from left, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, second from left, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal

Bob Zakes, 76, participates in a Zumba dance fitness class at the YMCA in downtown Salem on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Zakes is often the only male and one of the oldest people in the class.
ANNA REED / Statesman Journal